


Jedi Stamina

by merry_amelie



Series: Stand-alones [26]
Category: Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
Genre: M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-20
Updated: 2017-07-20
Packaged: 2018-12-04 16:56:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,038
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11559477
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/merry_amelie/pseuds/merry_amelie
Summary: "Tell me, Master Jinn, is it true what they say about Jedi...stamina?"





	Jedi Stamina

**Author's Note:**

  * For [obi1mcgregor](https://archiveofourown.org/users/obi1mcgregor/gifts), [kyuuketsukirui](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kyuuketsukirui/gifts).



> Feedback: Is treasured at merryamelie@aol.com (or leave a comment).
> 
> Disclaimer: Mr. Lucas owns everything Star Wars. I'm not making any money.
> 
> For  
> My beta team: Emila-Wan and Carol  
> Mali Wane and Laura McEwan for posting to the Master Apprentice ML  
> Travis for posting to the Master Apprentice Archive on AO3  
> Alex for inspiring Arcadia 
> 
> Reference:  
> [Two Straws](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1831762)
> 
> Note -- Please consider this as a first-line prompt, in hopes of inspiring more stories:
> 
> "Master Jinn, is it true what they say about Jedi...stamina?"

"Tell me, Master Jinn, is it true what they say about Jedi...stamina?"

He and Knight Kenobi were standing in the ballroom of the Brentemen Palace. They had arrived yesterday in the capital city of Sallagronne on Audace, a Mid-Rim planet in the Alderath System. They'd just witnessed a royal wedding on behalf of Chancellor Valorum, and the bride's sister was peppering Qui-Gon with impertinent questions, stopping him as he made his way among the guests drinking Sallagronne Sunsets at the banquet afterwards.

Princess Letora was a diminutive woman with violet hair and burnt-orange eyes, wearing a shimmering blue gown and a come-hither look. Qui-Gon thought with some distaste that she had made up for her size with sheer effrontery. Her latest breach of protocol was rubbing her lace-clad bosom into Qui-Gon's arm as she simpered beside him.

His face showed nothing but bland courtesy, as he made the effort not to turn away abruptly from the undesired contact. He did not answer her immediately, long enough to be an answer in itself.

It seemed to the Jedi Master that the conversations around him had also paused and that the guests waited for his response with unseemly curiosity. He resisted the urge to roll his eyes, instead presenting his usual serene demeanor to Princess Letora. "Your Highness, our training for missions is quite rigorous," he replied, pretending to misunderstand her and hoping she wouldn't pursue it, or him, any further. After all, he had become an expert at deflecting innuendo over his decades as a Jedi Knight. He kept his answer brief, though not short enough to be considered rude. After his last word, he unobtrusively moved the scant inch away that he needed to put some blessed distance between them.

Luckily, King Delar chose that moment to swoop in and corral his younger daughter. "My dear Lettie, the feast is about to begin." He clapped a hand on Qui-Gon's forearm, and the Jedi Master had the distinct feeling that Letora's father had been through this type of scene before.

Qui-Gon bowed to her, while she stared at him with hungry eyes, as if he were to be the main course. He allowed himself an inward sigh of relief when she was pulled away by the king, all the while glaring at her father in a less-than-regal way.

Even more fortunately, the seating arrangements were such that Qui-Gon was placed next to Obi-Wan, a couple of courtiers away from the princess, who could be heard chatting about the Jedi visitors with the bored gentleman next to her.

When Qui-Gon sat down, Obi-Wan looked at him with sparkling blue-green eyes and an irrepressible grin, and he knew without asking that the Knight had been within earshot of his conversation with the princess the entire time, and that Qui-Gon's discomfiture had amused him greatly.

* * *

When the feast was over, twelve interminable courses later, they returned to their quarters for the night. Qui-Gon half-expected Princess Letora to follow them there, but he cast out his senses to confirm that it was just the two of them walking through carpeted hallways decorated with paintings from Audace's classical period. Luckily, they were housed in an isolated wing of the palace, ordinarily unused, so he relished the feeling of being off duty for the moment.

The hushed environment was balm to Qui-Gon after the usual diplomatic niceties that managed to be more tiring than a day of sparring and classes at the Jedi Temple ever could. He and Obi-Wan changed into their loose sleep tunics and leggings, long used to wearing their most comfortable clothing after banquets, which Qui-Gon regarded as an occasionally necessary end to their duties. He gave out a wistful sigh as he thought of Dex's Diner and the casual pleasure of sitting across from Obi-Wan for late meal -- a spoot beer float with two straws between them and ronto burgers in hand.

"Well, Obi-Wan, I imagine that your observations on our evening would be most entertaining," said Qui-Gon, when they were sitting at their leisure on an over-stuffed sofa in the common room. Now that Obi-Wan was a Jedi Knight of 26, he had become an esteemed colleague, and Qui-Gon spoke to him accordingly. Qui-Gon took a sip of water from one of the glasses in front of them on a low table, savoring it more than the cocktail he'd had earlier.

Obi-Wan practically melted into the deep cushions. "Princess Letora was a bit *forward*," he said, which would have been perfectly diplomatic, save for his wry delivery. He rubbed his hand over the rich fabric of the sofa, a sensual glide that Qui-Gon did not fail to notice.

Qui-Gon smiled at him, well aware that her behavior could have been described as that of a hungry rancor. "Yes, indeed she was," and somehow the dry tone of his voice said that this was an understatement.

Obi-Wan grinned. "I admire the way you deflected the princess's attentions." His grin deepened as he said, "And I look forward to perfecting those moves when I become a Master, as well as the ones you show me in the salle."

Qui-Gon smiled back at him. "You are well on your way to mastering such skills already, my young Knight."

"And I've had just the teacher for it," said Obi-Wan, gratitude rich in his voice.

"Someday, my friend, you may want to accept such overtures, instead of politely brushing them to the side." Qui-Gon threw a companionable arm over his shoulder, only to find Obi-Wan looking at him in mild surprise.

When Qui-Gon squeezed his shoulder, Obi-Wan's gaze grew more intent. "My heart is already taken, Qui-Gon. There will be no dalliances on my part."

"You're still so young," Qui-Gon chided. "There's a whole galaxy waiting for you out there, especially since you're newly Knighted."

Obi-Wan gave him an unreadable look. "Nonetheless, I am as sure of my affections as I am of sunrise on Coruscant."

Qui-Gon glanced at him in amusement. "Well, then, I would not presume to question them."

"Thank you, Qui-Gon," said Obi-Wan, relief tingeing his voice.

* * *

At home on Coruscant, life returned to normal, at least on the surface.

The mission to Audace was one of hundreds, but Qui-Gon kept coming back to it in his meditations. He could see Obi-Wan's shining eyes and hear his words, just as he had on the pivotal day when he'd learned that the Knight was in love.

"My heart is already taken" became a whisper in his dreams...

...And he answered even more quietly, "Would that it were mine."

Since he'd finally admitted to himself that he loved Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon could not help but wonder about the lucky person Obi-Wan had mentioned. He did not broach the subject with the Knight but always felt it simmering between them nonetheless. Each time Obi-Wan went out with his friends, Qui-Gon wondered which of them might have captured Obi-Wan's heart. He sparred with Garen, Siri, and Reeft more than he had in the past thirteen years, in an effort to get to know the most likely candidates for Obi-Wan's affections.

* * *

Leave it to his old friend Mace to notice what was going on. He invited Qui-Gon over for a glass of Alderaanian liqueur after lastmeal a week after their mission to Audace, and Qui-Gon instantly knew something was up.

"I've heard you've been mowing down the Knights in the salle lately, Qui-Gon. Anything you want to tell me?" asked Mace with a wicked gleam in his eye.

"Can't a Master hone his 'saber skills without the rumor spinners going wild?" Qui-Gon retorted with a bit of asperity.

"Not when you oh-so-subtly cross-examine Obi-Wan's friends about his dating habits after wiping the salle with them." Mace had the look of a man who was about to win his own sparring match.

"And here I thought that Master Yoda was the omniscient one." Qui-Gon rolled his eyes. "You must be getting a bit too chummy with our little green gossip-hound."

"Oh, please. You know you've never succeeded in putting anything past me, my friend." Mace chuckled gleefully.

"You're a little too involved in my affairs, Mace," huffed Qui-Gon.

"Affairs, Qui-Gon? Quite an interesting choice of expression," Mace said smugly.

"You're incorrigible! Just tell me what you're talking about, and we'll both be happier." Qui-Gon gave him his patented glare.

"If you insist, all right, then. Why the sudden fascination with Obi-Wan's love life?" asked Mace.

The direct approach left Qui-Gon momentarily speechless.

When no answer was forthcoming, Mace plowed on. "Anyone would think that you're jealous, Qui-Gon."

"Nonsense, Mace," he blustered reflexively.

"Oh, I can see that, my friend," Mace teased. "But I'd like to reassure you anyway -- you have no one to be jealous of."

Qui-Gon began to believe in his own chances when he heard Mace's Force-ful pronouncement. He could not hide the hopeful note in his voice. "How do you know that?"

He saw the victory in Mace's eyes but Qui-Gon didn't begrudge it, especially when Mace said, "Because he's in love with you, of course."

* * *

Qui-Gon was still reeling from Mace's matter-of-fact statement when he returned to the quarters he shared with Obi-Wan. Even though the young man had been offered new rooms after his Knighting, he had opted to stay with Qui-Gon, with the Master's enthusiastic assent.

Obi-Wan was in the common room, sitting at the desk, where he was preparing his lecture notes. He was teaching a course on Diplomatic Etiquette to a class of Senior Padawans, which met tomorrow morning at 8th hour. He looked up from his datapad and must have seen something unusual in Qui-Gon's expression. "Is everything all right, Qui-Gon?"

There was no putting it off, then. Obi-Wan had a right to know what he had been obsessed about for the past week.

"It's a beautiful night, Obi-Wan. Would you like to sit with me out on the terrace?" asked Qui-Gon, hope shining like the Force itself in his blue eyes.

"I'd love to," Obi-Wan said. He turned off his datapad and left it on the desk, then rose to follow Qui-Gon to their chairs on the balcony.

They wore the same loose tunics and sleep pants they had worn in their private rooms on Audace. Fortunately, it was a balmy night.

They watched the streaks of traffic lighting up the sky in comfortable silence for a couple of moments. There was a gentle breeze tonight, which ruffled through Obi-Wan's lengthening hair and blew Qui-Gon's hair away from his face. He felt refreshed down to his beard.

Obi-Wan finally spoke. "I couldn't help but notice your agitation when you came home this evening. Are you okay?"

"That all depends on you." Qui-Gon gazed into puzzled eyes.

"Qui-Gon?" The questioning note in Obi-Wan's voice mirrored his own questioning of himself and Obi-Wan's friends over the past week.

Qui-Gon decided to be blunt, because he did not want to play diplomatic games with his former apprentice. "When we were on Audace, you told me that your heart is taken. I've been thinking about it ever since then. May I presume to ask who the lucky person is?"

Qui-Gon had never been more proud of Obi-Wan than when he rose from the sofa to stand in front of him, shoulders squared, as if standing at attention before a sparring match.

Looking him right in the eye, Obi-Wan said, "You, Qui-Gon."

Qui-Gon let out a breath that he seemed to have been holding since he had cut Obi-Wan's braid. "I am delighted to hear that, Obi-Wan, because my heart is taken as well, by my very own former Padawan, if you'll believe it." He stood up to face the handsome Knight before him.

Blue-green eyes danced in happiness when Obi-Wan took the single step into his arms. "I love you." He melted into the embrace with Qui-Gon's very first touch to his dimple.

"I love you, Obi-Wan." Qui-Gon kissed him tenderly on the forehead, savoring the Moment their hearts became one. Then he captured those luscious lips and didn't let them go until both of them were gasping.

Obi-Wan's mischievous grin couldn't have looked more well-kissed. "Looks like I'm about to find out if it's true what they say about Jedi stamina."


End file.
